Electricity meter



NOV. 29, 1932. R. PUDELKQ 1,889,419

ELECTRICITY METER Filed Sept. le, 1950 4 .57 r E umumlululuglnilpllllulllnlme I llllllllllmli llllllllllllllirllllllllllllll- LLl- = j @MMM :zu BY www ATTOR N EY Patented Nov. 29, 1932 UNITED STATES PATEN'l' QFFQE RICCARD PUDELKO, F ZUG, SWITZERLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 LANDIS & GYR, .A-G., A CORPORATION OF SWITZERLAND ELECTRICITY IvIETER Application filed September 16, 1930, Serial No. 482,180, and in Switzerland October 9, 1929.

The present invention relates to a new meter' through a one-way clutch which preand useful electricity meter and more parvents the transmission of any movement due ticularly to excess demand meters in which tothe constant speed mechanism. In meters the registration of the energy consumed takes this prior type, iarge errors are introplage only when a predetermined limit is duced int() the iegiStiatiOli by IeiLSOii 0f the exceeded, play or lost motion existing in the spur Objects and advantages of the invention gearing, the diii'erential gears and the clutch will be setforth in part hereinafter and in mechanism, and these errors become more part will be obvious hcrefrom, or may be noticeable the .lower the quality of the gearlearned by practice with the invention, the ing and the nearer the energy consumption C Seine being realized end attained by means rate approaches the predetermined limit at of the instrumentalities and combinations which regitioii begins.

Pointed ont in the appended Claims, in accordance with the present preferred The invention consists in the novel parts, embodiment of the invention, one of the constructions, arrangements, combinations bevel of the differential gearing is Gd and improvements herein Shown and decoupled to the constant speed mechanism and Scribecp the other bevel gear is coupled to an overr The accompanying drawing, referred to ruiming clutch adapted to be alternatively herein and constituting a part hereof, illusdriven by the constant speed mechanism or trates one embodiment of the invention, and the metering mechanism, whichever is run- 'i0 together with the description, serve to eX- ning at the faster rate. The pianct Wheel of plain the principles of the invention. the differential always rotates, if at all, in

Of the drawing the same direction, and for this reason what- Figure l is a side elevation of the present ever play is present in the gearing does not preferred and illustrative embodiment of the affect the final accuracy of the meter. 75 invention, It will be understood that the foregoing Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation, general description and the following departly in section, of a modified embodiment tailed description as well, are exemplary and of the invention; explanatory of the invention, but are not Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the restrictive thereof. 80 line 83 of Figure 2. Referring now in detail to the present The present invention has for its object preferred and illustrative embodiment of the the provision of an excess demand meter invention as shown in the accompanying which will give a very accurate registration drawing, the invention is shown as applied of the energy consumed in excess of a preto a meter for the measurement of elect-ridetermined rate limit even when the rate of cal energy, such as a Ferraris meter, alcoiisuinption approaches the limit. A furthough other types of electricity meters and ther object of the invention is the elimination meters for the measuieiiieiit of other quanof the errors in registration which have eX- tities may be substituted therefor. In' this 40 isted in the former types of excess demand embodiment, there is provided a meter disc 90 meters. 5 adapted to be driven proportionally to In excess demand meters of the type hereenergy consumption by means of the voltage tofore generally employed, a differential gear and current driving magnets 6 and 7 mounted is usually employed having one bevel gear on the side frame 8. The meter disc 5 is driven in accordance with the load on the rotatably supported by its spindle 9 which meter, while the other bevel gear is driven is journaled in the usual spindle bearings l0 by a Constant speed mechanism, the differand 1l,the spindle carrying a worm l2 meshence in rotation between the two gears being with worm gear 13 on shaft 14 journaled ing transmitted to the bevel pinion of the in the side frames l5 and 16. differential and then to the register of the A constant speed mechanism is provided rlhe excess demand register 2l, of convene tional construction, comprises the usual counting train and is connected through shaft 24 to the bevel pinion 22 of a difiere ential gear 23.. rllie bevel pinion 22 is rotatably mounted on an arm 22' which is fast to -he shaft 24 and the pinion meshes with the bevel gears 25 and 26 which are freely ro tatably on thesliaft.

@ne of the bevel gears of the differential gear is adaptedto be driven by the constant speed mechanism and for this purpose, gear 27, mounted at one side of the bevel` gear 26 and fast thereto, meshes With gear 253 freely rotatable on shaft 29 and also meshes with a pinion 30 which is fast on the shaft lt?.

rlhe other bevel gear of the differential is driven in a reverse direction and a speer. equal to that of the bevel 26 except 'when the rate of energy consumption exceeds the predetermined limit, and is driven faster than the bevel gear 26 when the rate of energy consumption exceeds t ie predetermineil rate limit. For this purpose, the bevel gear 25 is connected With both the constant speed mechanism and the metering mechanism and is adapted to be alternatively driven by the faster running of these tivo mechanisms. ln the illustrative embodiment, gear 3l, mounted at one side of and fast to the bevel gear 25, meshes with an idler pinion 82 which is driven by the overrunning clutch 33. llt the sides of gear 33 are ratchet Wheels and 35, formed integral Wit-h the gear 8S, ceac ing with ratchets 36 and 37, respectively. These ratchets are mounted on individual sleeves 3S and 89 which are freely rotatable on shaft 29 and are fast with respect to their respective gears 40 and 28. Gear 40 meshes With gear 4l which is mounted on shaft l4 and is driven by the meter disc 9 through Worm gearing l2, i3. The ratio of gears 3l, 33 and 27, 28 is suoli that the constant speer mechanism drives the bevel gears 25 and 26 at equal speeds in opposite directions therebj,T normally holding the bevel pinion 22 revolution and preventing rotation of shaft 24.

In accordance with a modified embodiment vof the invention, for use Where a still. higher degree of accuracy in the registration is demanded, friction clutchesare substituted for the ratchet clutches illustrated in Figure l.

As shoivn in Figures 2 and 3, gear Wheel 33 is connected to gears 28 and 40, at either side, by means of the one-Way friction clutches and 46 respectively, and gear 33 in alternatively driven by gear 28 or 40, Whichever is running at the higher speed. rlhese friction clutches each comprise a ring 47, formed on the inner end of the sleeve 3S or 39, Within Which received the spider 48 and the small balls 42. For retaining the balls in position, an annular cover member 50 is threaded over ring 47. Spider 48 is preferably formed integral with the sleeves 5l which are rigidly fastened to gear 33 by screws 52.

rllllie operati on of the illustrative meter may be summarized as follows:

lf2/*hen energy is being consumed at less than the predetermined rate limit, disc 17 is driven at a constant speed by the rotating field produced by magnet- 20, driving gears s 28 and 33 at equal speeds and bevel gears 25 and 26 at equal speeds in opposite directions. The eter disc 5, rotating at a speed corres f g to energy consumption at less than the predetermined rate limit, drives gear 40 l less than that of gear 33 and, due inning clutch, is without effect of bevel gear 25. As the speed s 25 and 2li is equal and oppo- `iiniuen 22 rotates but does not realid register 2l is not actuated.

. en energy is consumed at a rate equal to trie predetermined rate limit, the same operan li the ov on occurs, as ratchets 3S and 37 are driven tac same speed.

l/Vhen energy is consumed at a rate in eX- offthe predetermined rate limit, bevel gea is driven at the constant speed by the onstant speed mechanism. Gear 40 is driven tne meter disc at a speed faster than that f ,gear 28, thereby driving gear 33 at the faster rate and causing the bevel gear 25 to be rotated faster than bevel gear 26 and in the opposite direction thereto. This difference in speed between the bevel gears causes the bevel pinion 22 to revolve, rotating shaft 24 and actuating register 2l proportionally to the excess in the of energy consumption.

ln the illustrated embodiment, the predetermined rate limit is determined by the relative speeds of the constant speed mechanism and the metering` disc as Well as by the ratio of the sears 40 and 4l, and, of course, this predetermined rate may be varied at Will by varying the ratio of these gears.

rlhe invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the speciic mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom Within the sc pe of the accompanying claims Without departing from the principles of the invention and Without sacrificing its chief advantages.

l. An excess demand meter including in combination a register, a diiferential gear having its planet wheel coupled with the register, a meter disc driven proportionally to energy consumption, constant speed mechanism for driving one of the sun wheels of the differential., and an overrunning clutch connected with the other sun Wheel to drive the sun wheel alternatively by the meter disc or constant speed mechanism.

2. An excess demand meter including in combination a differential gear, a register driven by the planet Wheel of the differential, a metering element driven proportionally to energy consumption, constant speed mechanism for driving one of the sun wheels of the differential and two one way clutches for driving the other sun wheel of the differential, one of said clutches being connected to the metering element and the other of said clutches being connected. to the constant speed mechanism whereby the register registers only the energy consumed in excess of a predetermined rate.

3. An excess demand meter including in combination a differential gear, a register driven by the planet wheel of the differential, a metering element driven proportionally to energy consumption, means for driving both sun wheels at predetermined speed one oppositely to the other and means for alternatively driving one of the sun wheels in its normal direction at a speed faster than its predetermined speed by the metering element when the energy consumption exceeds a predetermining rate.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

RICCARD PUDELKO. 

